We are also working for you on a cheaper doublet ED apo which is under discussion right now on the reafractor forum, here we like to give you some more input from our side:

1, the scope in mind will not be such a high end apo as a expensive fluorite doublet or the new Riccardi Super ED doublet.

2, the new scope, if we do it, will be in the range you know from the old Meade doublets. Thats what you want as I understand.

3, The ED glas we will, can, use , we know, there are some choices of partner glases, we will choose the best possible design without going over the price point.
Otherwise such ED makes no sense , becuase to expensive.

4, if we do it, we will offer also the objective as retro kid for your achro tube , all you need will be a new front tube adapter to accept this new objective in cell

5, I know the chinese prices for importers of the triplets and doublets, so I see a very big chance that it is possible what you wish

The chinese have holidays this week, so we will not get the prices this week.

My designer will do some designs with diffrent glases and before we will start a production, we will publish here the spots and LA curves, so you can easy see what you will get and what you can expect.

The 250 pc will not be the problem, because it means only we have to buy 250 sets of glases , not 250 pc complete telescopes at once and if we get the right price and like the design, they will sell like peanut butter and 250 pc should be gone in a few monthes.

Markus I gotta say, that instead of saying no it cant be done, you are being pro active . I started the tread and dint think it would last 5 replys, now it has grown to many replys, I didnt think that many whould be interested but they were, I also like that fact that this project would be able to turn an old achro into a decent semi apo which many will do I belive. Thank you for taking the time to look into this and I will have to dust off the ole C6R and get it ready for a new lens. Jim

"4, if we do it, we will offer also the objective as retro kid for your achro tube , all you need will be a new front tube adapter to accept this new objective in cell"____________________________________________________________

This part, in particular, would be of great interest to me as I already have a C6-R with a Moonlite focuser, so I would be very happy with a sharp semi-apo lens set with cell that could be easily installed on the C6-R tube I have.

ED Apos are especially interesting if you think about a large, transportable and affordable refractor, e.g. 180 or even 200 in diameter. I would be interested in such lenses, f/8 or even better f/6, small chromatic aberrations are a minor problem - at least for me- since normal seeing does not allow to go much beyond 200x.

You have my attention for sure!!! This is the best news I've heard in some time, and I've been beating the bushes for over a year trying to find someone who's interested in bringing such a scope to the marketplace. THANKS!

1, ED doublets will be very light weight, so dont worry about the weight

2, we going to show 2 designs, one will be the poor man design and the second one will be a very good one, where the matched glas will be a Lanthanum element

we will discuss both versions , we will show spot diagrams and LA curves and strehl curves and prices of both and telling what is the equal f-ratio of a 6" Achromat, so we have a clear understanding what we offering

then we choose together

more infos coming soon.

At the main thread place , as a vendor I can answere direct questions, but not speak free, its product pushing and against TOS.

So let me discuss with you, here , at the vendor forum what we can offer

If the prices coming out as I hope and will allow to run this project, we will open a US based company to which the scopes will be shipped , to keep the cost as much down as possible.For the quality controle, we have contact to very scilled US Opticians, whose service we can use in case of any problem .

Our secret we will lift only later, we are prepairing many things in the dark underground and we will surprise you this year with many new Items, just wait, till you see our announcement.

We will start working soon on a webside for the US based companys , but announce it only, when we have collected to the webside

If the prices coming out as I hope and will allow to run this project, we will open a US based company to which the scopes will be shipped , to keep the cost as much down as possible.
For the quality controle, we have contact to very scilled US Opticians, whose service we can use in case of any problem .

Our secret we will lift only later, we are prepairing many things in the dark underground and we will surprise you this year with many new Items, just wait, till you see our announcement.

We will start working soon on a webside for the US based companys , but announce it only, when we have collected to the webside

Just so I am clear - is your ability to make this product available for sale dependent on your getting a certain number of buyers beforehand? Or are you able to bring this product to the market, and then see how many you can sell?

I'm already committed to an F/5 ISTAR 6", and planning on a bigger refractor, also from ISTAR, But if this comes to fruition, I will buy one, not only to support the idea of a customer friendly business model, but to replace my beloved Omni 120 achro as a largest portable (for me) refractor. Markus... You ROCK!

I got the first design today, but not in the way I want to help people to understand diffrences and also the manufactures want to show the best possible, not what we ask, the good and least expensive, so have to make clear again what we want.Should have soonest a result to show

I got the first design today, but not in the way I want to help people to understand diffrences and also the manufactures want to show the best possible, not what we ask, the good and least expensive, so have to make clear again what we want.
Should have soonest a result to show

Keeping my eye on this! Not hard to understand people not getting the idea of what you want - just look at the thread that started it. Really hard to get people to understand what was being asked.

I applaud your efforts. And, as always the masses want more. What the planetary refractor user really wants is a 7" (180mm) doublet, with some punch and ability to go deep-sky close to the level as a 10" reflector. If you build a 180mm f/8-9 doublet...they will beat your doors down to get it! Or at least I will. Think of it as an improved Meade 178ED with better glass and modern coatings. I'll talk more with you at NEAF...I'm intrigued.